Tue, April 29, 2014

Position Overview and Responsibilities

National Instruments is seeking talented new grads for entry-level technical writer positions in its R&D organization.

Technical writers at National Instruments partner with an engineering team to develop and improve product documentation. As an NI technical writer, you write technical documentation, collaborate with content experts to develop/enhance documentation content, and work with product managers and engineers to improve the usability of documentation and products.

National Instruments is well-known for its promote-from-within philosophy. Thus, as you advance your technical writing career, you have opportunities for many new challenges, including mentoring new technical writers, managing documentation project schedules, developing and improving processes, and serving as a customer advocate.

Core Responsibilities:• Create and edit product documentation according to company guidelines, including printed materials, electronic help, and other forms of documentation • Send documentation through review and implement feedback• Collaborate with content experts to learn about products• Meet with technical communications group leaders to discuss documentation content• Prepare information for publishing• Evaluate industry tools and trends• Work with project managers and engineers to improve the usability of documentation• Troubleshoot help systems as they are integrated into products•Research new solutions to improve existing processes

For more information about a career in technical writing at National Instruments, please visit www.weekinthelife.net.

Position Requirements

Please Note: National Instruments does not petition for H-1B (H1-B transfer) or TN status for this position.

• Bachelors or Masters degree in English, Technical Communication, or other major with writing-intensive component and/or science/technology emphasis • Desire to succeed in a technical writing career • 0-5 years of professional technical writing experience• Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills - must provide samples of excellent writing skills • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail with ability to handle multiple projects and priorities • Persistence and initiative to learn • Strong interest in and comfort with technical subject matter • Prior hands-on experience working with computers (hardware and/or software) • Ability to work effectively in a group environment Demonstrated ability in at least one of the following areas: • Prior work experience and/or extracurricular activities with focus on writing or editing; for example, completing an honors thesis, working as a writing tutor, or writing for a student newspaper. o Prefer experience writing or editing content with technical subject matter.• Familiarity with databases, HTML, and/or XML • Coursework in mathematics and/or science o Prefer knowledge of computer programming basics and/or completion of some computer science/programming coursework o English Language Competency: Ability to clearly and concisely communicate in English (verbal and written) so that persons you work with can understand you clearly, particularly in technical conversation